Kosher on the Go

Gas stations may seem like an unlikely spot to find culinary treasures; yet hungry travelers have come to rely on them for quick, easy, delicious food.

For years, kosher eating travelers have had to make do with chips and pretzels, but now all that has changed! Many gas stations have begun serving kosher food- and not only for travelers. The convenient and long hours, friendly service, and varied menus (which include everything, from French toast and cappuccino to yapcik and cholent), is what attracts customers- for breakfast, lunch, and supper- and of course some snacks in between. Inside these makeshift gas station kitchens are cooks- not gourmet chefs. But they are passionate about good kosher food.

Curious about this new trend I set out to On The Go in the Shell station in Monsey, NY. "I saw that there was a need for kosher food in gas stations," says Eli Farkas, the owner, "There are many travelers who'd like to buy kosher food. And the gas station was happy to comply and sell kosher food!"

How did the idea take off?

“In the very beginning,” says Eli, “it was hard, because it was a brand new idea. But then it caught on and I have lots of customers, travelers as well as local residents. Everyone loves it! ‘It feels like I’m in Israel’ is the comment I often get from my customers.”

On the Go, Monsey, NY. Menue includes parve and dairy products.

Kosher food at the Velaro gas station in Monroe. Menu includes parve and dairy products.

There is a great free phone app for android and iPhone called Kosher Restaurants GPS that is perfect for kosher travelers. It tells you of kosher restaurants with reliable hashgachas, minyamin and mikvah's for whatever location you are looking for.

This is a great article - we had no idea about the gas station Kosher options! Also, check out KosherNear.me for a great app for finding kosher listings around you. Available on iPhone and Android (Kosher Near Me in the Appstore and Google Play)